MTG’s Avatar set mechanic exposes why Vivi got the banhammer

Final Fantasy IX’s beloved Black Mage Vivi quickly emerged as the standout Legendary card in Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy crossover set. After dominating the game’s meta for months with consistent mana generation and direct damage to enemy players, Vivi finally got banned earlier this week, right on the cusp of another major crossover in Avatar: The Last Airbender. For anybody wondering why Vivi’s ban took so long — or why it finally happened now — a few new Avatar cards and mechanics could explain why.